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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Tanya on September 9, 1998, at 19:43:02
Everything I read suggests that you do not consume alcohol while taking zoloft. But the reason why is never available. Does anybody know? I know it's metabolized in the liver(as is etoh) and that depression is often associated with alcohol abuse, but are these the only reasons? Can drinking socially--moderately while on a SSRI really hurt you?
Posted by Paul on September 10, 1998, at 11:20:13
In reply to Zoloft and alcohol, posted by Tanya on September 9, 1998, at 19:43:02
My opinion (NOT a professional one), judging from my own experience with Zoloft and Prozac is that it is safe to drink moderately while taking these drugs. My suspicion has always been that advice not to drink has just been thrown in for good measure, with no real reason given but just a vague admonition that it is not wise. Given the prevalence of both drinking and taking SSRI's in our culture, I think we would be aware if there were a big risk. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
Posted by Toby on September 10, 1998, at 17:30:03
In reply to Re: Zoloft and alcohol, posted by Paul on September 10, 1998, at 11:20:13
It is not recommended that a depressed person drink alcohol in any amount since alcohol is a neurological depressant. It is also prohibited with tricyclic antidepressants and MAOI's because there is a true interaction between these meds and alcohol leading to an increase in blood level of the medications and the alcohol which can be dangerous (toxic reaction) and some forms of alcohol can lead to a deadly hypertensive reaction with MAOI's. There is no specific interaction like that with the SSRI's, Wellbutrin or Effexor, but alcohol is still discouraged while on these medications because: Alcohol causes an increase in neurotransmitter turnover (synthesis and breakdown) and a depressed or bipolar person does not want to mess with the rate of neurotransmitter turnover since any added environmental stress could potentially catch them during a period of increased breakdown of serotonin or norepinephrine, and the depression would recur. Also, alcohol is initially a stimulant, then a depressant, then an anxiety provoking agent upon withdrawal and if a depressed person drinks in the evening to go to sleep for example, even a few drinks will disrupt early morning sleep and can cause a relapse to depression. Also, daily alcohol consumption has been noted to cause brain levels of endorphins to be depleted when the person is sober and that's becoming better understood to be linked to certain types of depression, although not completely clear yet. Also, alcohol has an affinity for certain receptors that are very near to the receptors for the SSRI's and other antidepressants. If enough alcohol is present, it can essentially "knock off" the antidepressant, preventing it from doing its job of keeping the brain levels of neurotransmitters at normal levels, and when the neurotransmitters drop below a certain level, the depression can recur.
So, it's not prohibited because of the medication itself, but more because of the condition that it can exacerbate. Now, one drink every now and again is not going to cause immediate relapse to depression, as many of you know who have been indulging on an intermittent basis. However, use more than once or twice a week or drinking alot at one sitting can be cumulative and really cause a problem. Moderation is the watchword, and maybe a little on the extreme side of moderation (if not total abstinence) for those with depression or bipolar disorder is best; I mean, you have to be your own judge of how severe your depression is and whether it's worth experiencing again just for a brewed or distilled plant extract.
Posted by John on January 28, 1999, at 12:51:32
In reply to Re: Zoloft and alcohol, posted by Toby on September 10, 1998, at 17:30:03
> Well, I drink a bottle of gin and I take prozac you know doctors want you to keep coming back so If you feel like drinkig with any antidepressents go ahead man feel free. Go to the beach, kick back and start sipping and slip in to your own world.
John Y.
Posted by Daniel on March 31, 1999, at 12:04:38
In reply to Zoloft and alcohol, posted by Tanya on September 9, 1998, at 19:43:02
> Everything I read suggests that you do not consume alcohol while taking zoloft. But the reason why is never available. Does anybody know? I know it's metabolized in the liver(as is etoh) and that depression is often associated with alcohol abuse, but are these the only reasons? Can drinking socially--moderately while on a SSRI really hurt you?
Oooh, I was on 50 mg of Zoloft a day and I had just one beer (1/2 liter). I would normally become "merry," you know, stripped of all the inhibitions, more talkative and active, but while on Zoloft, it was completely the opposite. I had a very nasty reaction - nausea, dizzines, slowed down in thinking and acting, generally feeling awful, the effects lasted all the following day when they gradually disappeared. I haven't drunk a drop of alcohol since then. Just my personal experience, but I guess, we are all different, so different people would react in different ways.
Regards,
Daniel
Posted by brent on October 12, 2000, at 8:28:06
In reply to Re: Zoloft and alcohol, posted by Daniel on March 31, 1999, at 12:04:38
Ok i have a delema, my gf has been on zoloft for a few weeks now, and the last few days it has started working. The problem is the shit(zoloft) makes her not care about anything really, even things she should care about, like me. she said it makes her feel like im more her friend. And she can say things and it doesnt even bother her. But when shes not on the med shes very much in love with me. she had told me shortly after the med started working that she felt the more we get to know eachother the more she feels were just friends, i pretty much knew right away it was probably the zoloft. well that night i started drinking some i wasn't drunk but i had a pretty good buzz, and then she started drinking too, we were talking on the phone at that time and after a couple shots of tequela she said that her feeling for me were like they used to, and she started crying cuz she couldn't believe she had told me that earlier. she said the alcohol made her still be very in love with me but the little things (ex:school, parents etc)that used to bother her b4 she took zoloft still werent there, so it was extra good b/c it was like everything was focused on me and her. then the next day she took it again and she felt like i was her buddy again and she didnt really care....said she felt like nothing. she remembered how she felt the night b4 and so she knew it was just the zoloft, but the only way she could get past it was to drink alcohol. so she drank again and all her feelings for me were back and she was saying sorry and how much she loved me and no matter how she acted on the med she wanted to know she didnt want to lose me or make me feel she didnt love me cuz she really did. but i dont want her to become an alcoholic where the only way she cares about me is when she had some alcohol it didnt require a whole lot...like she wasnt smashed but still thats kinda dumb. im also worried that the alcohol will stop having that effect...but anyways does anyone know of a drug other then zoloft and i dont want prozack either but a drug that acts kinda like alcohol. alcohol makes her not sad like she used to but it allows her to love me. zoloft just makes her feel nothing toward everything. if she gets off of it tho she will be sad and little thing she shouldnt worry about make her cry for a long time. so can anyone help me? please. brent
Posted by Snowie on October 16, 2000, at 18:07:55
In reply to Re: Zoloft and alcohol, posted by brent on October 12, 2000, at 8:28:06
Brent,
I'm sorry that Zoloft has apparently caused problems in your relationship. I briefly tried Zoloft, but broke out in a rash and had to discontinue it after only a week. I did try Prozac and had a similar reaction as your girlfriend, i.e., I just felt numb.
Depending upon how long you and your girlfriend have been together, you might suggest joining a session with her doctor and explaining some of the apparent side effects while she has been on Zoloft. Her doctor could suggest another medication that might work better for her. Prescribing medication is an art, not an absolute. It may take some patience on your part until she finds the right medication for her.
Snowie
> Ok i have a delema, my gf has been on zoloft for a few weeks now, and the last few days it has started working. The problem is the shit(zoloft) makes her not care about anything really, even things she should care about, like me. she said it makes her feel like im more her friend. And she can say things and it doesnt even bother her. But when shes not on the med shes very much in love with me. she had told me shortly after the med started working that she felt the more we get to know eachother the more she feels were just friends, i pretty much knew right away it was probably the zoloft. well that night i started drinking some i wasn't drunk but i had a pretty good buzz, and then she started drinking too, we were talking on the phone at that time and after a couple shots of tequela she said that her feeling for me were like they used to, and she started crying cuz she couldn't believe she had told me that earlier. she said the alcohol made her still be very in love with me but the little things (ex:school, parents etc)that used to bother her b4 she took zoloft still werent there, so it was extra good b/c it was like everything was focused on me and her. then the next day she took it again and she felt like i was her buddy again and she didnt really care....said she felt like nothing. she remembered how she felt the night b4 and so she knew it was just the zoloft, but the only way she could get past it was to drink alcohol. so she drank again and all her feelings for me were back and she was saying sorry and how much she loved me and no matter how she acted on the med she wanted to know she didnt want to lose me or make me feel she didnt love me cuz she really did. but i dont want her to become an alcoholic where the only way she cares about me is when she had some alcohol it didnt require a whole lot...like she wasnt smashed but still thats kinda dumb. im also worried that the alcohol will stop having that effect...but anyways does anyone know of a drug other then zoloft and i dont want prozack either but a drug that acts kinda like alcohol. alcohol makes her not sad like she used to but it allows her to love me. zoloft just makes her feel nothing toward everything. if she gets off of it tho she will be sad and little thing she shouldnt worry about make her cry for a long time. so can anyone help me? please. brent
Posted by RG on March 10, 2001, at 1:42:49
In reply to Re: Zoloft and alcohol » brent, posted by Snowie on October 16, 2000, at 18:07:55
Brent,
It's interesting that your situation is somewhat similar to mine. I was prescribed Zoloft while I was in a fairly serious relationship. After being on Zoloft for a few weeks, I wasn't so anxious or panicked about my obligations; however, I just didn't act on things like I used to. My schoolwork continued to slide while I just felt a vague apathy. In fact, I decided that before I was on Zoloft, my boyfriend and I were together just because I was overly dependent on him. I wasn't as concerned for his feelings while I was on Zoloft. I mean, it sounds really insensitive to say now, and at the time I didn't associate my apathy toword him with the Zoloft prescription. But now I think it might have been the detached feeling I was getting from the medication? I dunno... Anyway, I just thought your situation seemed similar to mine. I hope things have since gotten better between you and your girlfriend, Brent...
Posted by KARAsweet on March 14, 2001, at 15:03:21
In reply to Re: Zoloft and alcohol, posted by RG on March 10, 2001, at 1:42:49
drinking with zoloft was pretty harsh on me.. I was up to 150 mg per day and whenever I had a drink, I turned extra giddy and would black out later on in the evening. The thing is, I wasn't passed out, I was doing all sorts of crazy things and off in my own world that I don't remember. Now I haven't had a drink in a while which is for the best.
Posted by KARAsweet on July 27, 2001, at 10:16:49
In reply to Re: Zoloft and alcohol, posted by KARAsweet on March 14, 2001, at 15:03:21
I'm so surprised to see your response .. I mean the fact that I had the same exact thing happen to me. I was on 150 mg, as well, and would not remember a thing, yet I wasn't the average drunk. I was doing/saying all sorts of things and it was as though it wasn't me. Sometimes that even happens now (that I'm on prozac).
I hope you're doing well!
Posted by ravenmccoy on April 27, 2004, at 20:03:57
In reply to Re: Zoloft and alcohol, posted by KARAsweet on July 27, 2001, at 10:16:49
I have blacked out sooo many times from zoloft and drinking. I've woken up in places that i didn't remember going to the night before. When I black out, the 'personality' that takes over is not me. I want to know WHY this blackout thing happens, and why I act so nuts. People who I'm with say that it doesn't even seem like i'm THAT drunk, just a little more wild than usual. I also apparently get aggressive and physically abusive. it sucks.
Posted by flipsactown on April 28, 2004, at 11:07:43
In reply to Re: Zoloft and alcohol, posted by ravenmccoy on April 27, 2004, at 20:03:57
I don't want sound harsh, but alcohol and any kind of medication, generally, is an absolute no no especially when it comes to antidepressants and painkillers. Alcohol intensifies the effects of medications, thus you are actually taking an overdose of whatever medication you are taking. It also works the other way in that some medication intensifies the effects of alcohol, so if you think you can get away with just drinking a small amount of alcohol, your medication could be doubling or tripling the effects of what you thought was small amount of alcohol. Bottomline: Unless you like blacking out from a small amount of alcohol taken with Zoloft and not knowing how, what and where you are, you should not be drinking alcohol with your Zoloft. Consider yourself lucky that you were not injured, or worse killed, because you drank alcohol with Zoloft.
FST
>I have blacked out sooo many times from zoloft and drinking. I've woken up in places that i didn't remember going to the night before. When I black out, the 'personality' that takes over is not me. I want to know WHY this blackout thing happens, and why I act so nuts. People who I'm with say that it doesn't even seem like i'm THAT drunk, just a little more wild than usual. I also apparently get aggressive and physically abusive. it sucks.
>
Posted by King Vultan on April 28, 2004, at 12:23:06
In reply to Re: Zoloft and alcohol » ravenmccoy, posted by flipsactown on April 28, 2004, at 11:07:43
> I don't want sound harsh, but alcohol and any kind of medication, generally, is an absolute no no especially when it comes to antidepressants and painkillers. Alcohol intensifies the effects of medications, thus you are actually taking an overdose of whatever medication you are taking. It also works the other way in that some medication intensifies the effects of alcohol, so if you think you can get away with just drinking a small amount of alcohol, your medication could be doubling or tripling the effects of what you thought was small amount of alcohol. Bottomline: Unless you like blacking out from a small amount of alcohol taken with Zoloft and not knowing how, what and where you are, you should not be drinking alcohol with your Zoloft. Consider yourself lucky that you were not injured, or worse killed, because you drank alcohol with Zoloft.
>
> FST
>I have to disagree somewhat with this, but keep in mind that I live in the beer soaked environment of Milwaukee, where alcohol use is deeply ingrained in the culture. Rather than prohibit the use of alcohol, which IMO is simply not realistic, I think it's more constructive to tell people that alcohol may potentiate the effects of the drug or it may cause some unexpected effects, and that it should be used with caution. I would reinforce with the patient the necessity of reporting back if the combination appears to be causing unhealthy or negative effects so that a discussion might ensue as to whether to discontinue the use of alcohol with the med, or trying something else.
I say that with the experience of running into severe problems on one of the 11 meds I've tried (Prozac/alcoholism), and I unfortunately lacked the wisdom at the time to share the difficulties I was having with my doctor. I guess I was afraid he was going to take the Prozac away if I told him, as I was so naive at the time that I thought this was some kind of wonder med that was going to solve all my problems. Fortunately, I did have enough sense to finally tell him I didn't want to take it anymore, as it became clear to me that I was on a rather destructive course.
I hope you're listening, ravenmccoy.
Todd
Posted by Flipsactown on April 28, 2004, at 14:09:04
In reply to Re: Zoloft and alcohol, posted by King Vultan on April 28, 2004, at 12:23:06
Very well put, Todd.
Let me correct my last post by saying that in my opinion, it is not a good idea to drink alcoholic beverages when taking certain meds such as AD's and narcotics, as alcohol may intensify the effects of the meds.
I apologize if I may have offended anyone, especially Ravenmccoy.
FST
> > I don't want sound harsh, but alcohol and any kind of medication, generally, is an absolute no no especially when it comes to antidepressants and painkillers. Alcohol intensifies the effects of medications, thus you are actually taking an overdose of whatever medication you are taking. It also works the other way in that some medication intensifies the effects of alcohol, so if you think you can get away with just drinking a small amount of alcohol, your medication could be doubling or tripling the effects of what you thought was small amount of alcohol. Bottomline: Unless you like blacking out from a small amount of alcohol taken with Zoloft and not knowing how, what and where you are, you should not be drinking alcohol with your Zoloft. Consider yourself lucky that you were not injured, or worse killed, because you drank alcohol with Zoloft.
> >
> > FST
> >
>
> I have to disagree somewhat with this, but keep in mind that I live in the beer soaked environment of Milwaukee, where alcohol use is deeply ingrained in the culture. Rather than prohibit the use of alcohol, which IMO is simply not realistic, I think it's more constructive to tell people that alcohol may potentiate the effects of the drug or it may cause some unexpected effects, and that it should be used with caution. I would reinforce with the patient the necessity of reporting back if the combination appears to be causing unhealthy or negative effects so that a discussion might ensue as to whether to discontinue the use of alcohol with the med, or trying something else.
>
> I say that with the experience of running into severe problems on one of the 11 meds I've tried (Prozac/alcoholism), and I unfortunately lacked the wisdom at the time to share the difficulties I was having with my doctor. I guess I was afraid he was going to take the Prozac away if I told him, as I was so naive at the time that I thought this was some kind of wonder med that was going to solve all my problems. Fortunately, I did have enough sense to finally tell him I didn't want to take it anymore, as it became clear to me that I was on a rather destructive course.
>
> I hope you're listening, ravenmccoy.
>
> Todd
Posted by pinkpetal on July 20, 2006, at 19:22:05
In reply to Re: Zoloft and alcohol » King Vultan, posted by Flipsactown on April 28, 2004, at 14:09:04
I think it is common knowledge that you don't consume alcohol whilst taking any sort of medication.
especially an antidepressant ? since alcohol is a commonly known depressant.
I don't understand why this is debateable. It is a fact.
This is the end of the thread.
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